Match Report
Ryman League: Division One South
 Horsham YMCA 0 |  Godalming Town 3Nightingale 9 Crane 53 Fraser 81 |
Match Ball Sponsor: NEIL CHARTRES | Words by Tom Norris |
YM STILL ON THE ROCKS AS BOGNOR EASE TO COMFORTABLE WIN
Horsham YMCA suffered their twenty-third league defeat of the season at the hands of table-topping Bognor Regis on Saturday afternoon, taking yet another sure fire step towards relegation and County League football for next season.
|
Match Stats |
||
|
Horsham YMCA |
V |
Bognor Regis Town |
|
2 |
Shots On Target |
4 |
|
1 |
Shots Off Target |
9 |
|
4 |
Offsides |
4 |
|
2 |
Corners |
2 |
|
17 |
Fouls |
7 |
|
1 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
|
0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
The hosts looked to draw upon the inspiration that saw them put three past the then league leaders Met Police back in January, but there was to be no such reoccurrence, as high-flying Regis ensured they didn’t make the same mistake as their closest title rivals. Goals early on in each half from Luke Nightingale and James Crane, and a late strike from James Fraser helped the visitors to a comfortable win, very much acknowledged by YM manager John Cumberbatch.
‘Having seen this Bognor side, they are undoubtedly the best side that we have played to date. Therefore, in some ways I am not too despondent, but obviously we can’t be content about losing 3-0, whoever it’s against.
‘There weren’t a lot of good things about the game today, but there were certain patches where I felt that we did quite well. There were points where our defending was great up against a very good, very quick opposition. This is something that we have to take into other games.’
It looked as though it may be a long afternoon ahead for YM, when a lively Bognor start saw striker Luke Nightingale open the scoring with a looping effort after just nine minutes. The hosts were sloppy in midfield, and anything played long was snuffed out by a solid Regis defence, with Gavin Gordon providing the only outlet up front for the home side. Ashley Robinson, who recently signed from Hastings, showed some promise down the YM left, but his only meaningful contribution to the first forty five was a needless booking. However, the visitors failed to capitalise on their superior possession and other than the goal, had very little to show for in the way of clear cut chances.
The second half followed much the same pattern, as YM continued to produce some slack passing and very little going forward. It was only a matter of time before the Rocks doubled their lead, with some neat exchanges and a constant threat on the counter attack. Some good work down the Bognor left saw Ben Johnson slide in full back James Crane and the youngster made no mistake in coolly slotting past ‘keeper Mark Fox in the YM goal.
Cumberbatch did make changes, bringing on the attacking presence of both Solomon Henry and Damian Ramsamy, but it was regular full-back Scott Harris, playing in a five-man midfield, who went closest for the home side with a rare strike from the edge of the box. But that did little to change the outcome of a somewhat one sided and trouble free encounter for the visitors.
Crane should have then doubled his tally for the afternoon with quarter of an hour left to play. The ball was spilt by YM ‘keeper Fox, but with an open goal and all the time in the world, the defender could only manage a tame shot wide, in what definitely has to be a candidate for miss of the season.
However, just ten minutes later, the game was put beyond all doubt. Some superb work down the Bognor right saw Perry Ryan produce a low cross across the face of goal, and with three bodies sliding in, it was midfielder James Fraser who flung himself furthest forward to bundle the ball home from close range.
YM are now fourteen points adrift of safety and the question with regards to relegation is starting to become more when than if.
Cumberbatch added, ‘In my opinion, the chances [of survival] are very, very slim, but I will not allow either myself or the players to think that we can’t do it. If any of us get into that frame of mind, then we are just not going to put any sort of effort in. Sometimes little miracles happen and then you find that because you didn’t put the effort in a certain game, it goes against you.
‘I just need to see what sort of reaction I get next week. We have to keep going. Whether we get relegated or not we have to be setting up for next season. I have to be getting the team in a frame of mind where we can at least finish the season on a positive, whether it’s two games, three games, seven games, whatever. We can take that into next season.
‘I know that we have a break and there will be new players in and some players will leave. Whatever league we are in, for me, I have already got to start thinking. If I finish the season on a low I have got to start from scratch again, and I don’t want to do that.’
YM face a tough task away to Walton and Hersham on Saturday and Cumberbatch has said that even with the current league position and relegation looking ominous, his side can’t afford to give away any cheap points.
‘If we go there in the wrong frame of mind then we are going to again end up losing by the odd goal or the odd two goals. We have to put in the extra work and see if we can start getting some better results.’
YM (4-5-1): Fox, Dudley, M Cumberbatch (Olafunmishe 76), Woodburn (c), Plummer, Abnett (Ramsamy 69), Z Henry, Harris, B Bowra (S Henry 54), Robinson, Gordon
Unused Subs: Mercer, Sesay
